1. Field of the Invention
In the arts of instructional and entertainment materials for children, a desideratum is to provide an educational element into that which entertains or an entertainment element into that which instructs so as to keep the child's attention directed along certain lines while, at the same time, teaching and amusing the child.
In pursuance of this purpose, I have provided certain improvements in the way of a book having educational, instructive and amusement qualities together with associated puzzle means having qualities on the same order and which, though physically separated from said book-element, is inter-related therewith, so that the two said elements are used conjointly in carrying out the scheme by which they are co-related.
Primarilly, I provide a means for solving a mystery puzzle, the result of which is not known until the participant completes the puzzle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97-1.99, the following art is cited:
Kennedy M.--U.S. Pat. No. 959,754 PA1 Washburn--U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,823 PA1 Irwin--U.S. Pat. No. 3,193,294 PA1 Leven--U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,310 PA1 Wilson--U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,732 PA1 Spector--U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,287 PA1 Fogle et al--U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,074
While these references each teach what can be broadly construed as jigsaw puzzles, no patent found teaches the use of two interactive components, first, a story book of consecutively-arranged pages with different indicia and a portion of a complemental supporting story imprinted on each of the consecutive pages and second a jigsaw puzzle including a plurality of separable playing pieces, which are supportive of each other in that a player is called upon to successively match the indicia appearing on each page of the book with the indicia on the playing pieces with each successive playing piece being playable in accordance with the consecutive order of their appearance in the book. In jigsaw puzzle fashion, the pieces are interlocked in a manner where the second to be played piece is interjoined with the first to be played piece and the third to be played piece is interjoined somewhere along the continuous edge provided by the previously interjoined first and second pieces, with each successively coded piece being interjoined somewhere along the continuous edge provided by the previously interjoined pieces.